Glass-melting-pot furnace



Dec. 4 1923.

F. E. TROUTMAN ET AL.

GLASS MELTING POT FURNACE 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 13 1920 ME TOR Did-z; I W274 F. E. TROUTMAN ET AL GLASS MELTING POT FURNACE Dec. 4 1923. 1,476,432

Filed March 15, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

INVENTOR Patented Dec. 4, 1923;.

UNITED STATES earns? orrics.

FRANK E. TROUTMAII AND CHARLES H. CHRISTIE, OF BUTLER, PENNSiZlZPVAITIA.

GLASS-MELTING-POT FURNACE.

Application filed March 13, 1920. SerialNo. 365,454.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK E. 'lnoo'r- MAN and CrninLns H. Crnus'rrn, citizens of the United States, and residents of Butler, in the county of Butler and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Glass-Melting-Pot Furnaces; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Our invention relates to a glass melting pot-furnace, and more particularly to a furnace adapted for melting glass in pots for the manufacture of plate-glass.

In the manufacture of plate-glass, the glass which is discharged upon the casting table to be rolled into a plate or sheet is melted in individual pots. These pots are first pro-heated in a furnace built for that purpose and are raised to a temperature of about 1800 F. After this pre-heatin the pots are then introduced into the melting furnace in which the temperature is raised to about 2500 F. to effect the Incling of the glass. During this melting operation portions of batch are introduced into the pot by suitable charging apparatus which is introduced through an opening in the side-wall or roof of the furnace, and by means of which batch is discharged into the pots until the proper amount has been introduced into each pot to obtain a pot full of molten glass. After the melting stage has been reached, the temperature of the glass is raised to approximately 2600 F., when the fining of the glass takes place. Then the glass is finished the temperature of the furnace is then reduced so that the glass, when the pot is removed for pouring,lias a temperature of about 2000". At this temperature the glass is in the right state of fluidity for rolling when discharged upon the casting table.

The object of our invention is to provide a' pot-furnace of this character in which the pots instead of being introduced into a furnace and remaining in a stationary position during the melting and fining as well as the addingof the batch from time to time, the pots are moved intermittently through the furnace, passing from one area to another of increasing temperature, the additions of batch being made from time to time so that the plurality of pots may be successively filled, the glass melted and fined therein and partially cooled while the pot is moving through the furnace so that when the pot reaches the outlet, the glass.

is in condition for pouring on the casting table.

To these ends, our invention comprises the novel features hereinafter set forth and claimed. In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation in section of a portion of our improved pot furnace; Fig. 2 shows the discharge or rear end of the furnace; Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 33, Fig. 1; Fig. 4 1s a plan view of aportion of the furnace; and Fig. 5 is anenlarged view on the line 55, Fig. 1.

In the drawings, the numeral 2 designates the heating furnace which may be of the muflie type with the combustion chambers 3 extending along the side walls. Where gas is employed as a fuel, the gas lined.

extends along the side of the furnace, and branch pipes 5 controlled by valves G'eXtend from said main line at intervals. The burners 7 are connected up to the branch pipes 5; Air to support combustion is fed to the burners by the fines 8 which are connected up with an ordinary reeuperator 9. Any suitable manner, however, of heating the melting chamber 10 may be employed.

At the front end of the furnace is the vestibule 11 with the tracks 12 leading into said vestibule being provided with the outer door 13 and the inner door 14. The track 12 extends the entire length of the furnace and at its rear or discharge end, avestibule 15 is provided with doors 16 and 17. At intervals charging stations v18, 19 and 20 are provided, the number of said charging stations being dependent only on the length of the furnace or the amount of material added at each station. At these charging stations the top plates 21 are provided with openings 22 to receive the discharge spouts of the hoppers 24 containing the batch. "he openings may be formed in the walls of the furnace if desired. These hoppers may be fed by suitable overhead carriers for delivering batch to the different hoppers as required. In order to provide for, the discharge of the batch well down in the pots 25, the spouts 23 are'made adjustable in length so as to be extended or withdrawn as tact with the preceding truck Will advance 11 t-ures are, or cc ports 27', the:

upon the refractory suprear ends of said supports t f? U at 28 so that when passing through the furnace, the sev' eral supports the different trucks Wlll form a rabheted with each other.

At the charging stations overflow gutters 29 are provided orany overflow fromthe pots at the charqing station. These may also he provided at ot ier places in the furnace to take care of leaking pots.

A sui ble C lltt ger or pusher advancing the trucks, and each time a truck L is advanced from the vestibule 11 into the ma n part; or fhe furnace by raisln the door 14 the advance of said trnclz coming in conthenhole line of trucks the distance of the th of one of the supports 27. in. this ner the trucks are moved intermittently through the iurnace. Other means of mov- "i he trucks may of course be employed.

'arr ing out our invention, the pots in first instance having been pro-heated to nope temperature,either in a separate l he the heating chamber or with the heat acquired by having been passed through the furnace and discharge-def their lot of molten class,

are introduced, oneihy one into the furnace passing first into the vestibule 11. The door l3 is then closed and the door 14- opened whereupon a pusher advances the pot into thorn-Jain heating chamber of the furnace. The pots as they are advanced in this intermittent manner are gradu ally r ised in temperature and at the first charging station 18 the firstcharge of batch is introduced into the pot. This oatch is partially melted before reaching the second charg'ng station Where a second portion of batch is introduced iin at the third or succeeding charg utions. The temperature of the furnaceis increased and has differentzones of heat, the temperature for. instance at the first charging station being, s y, 2200 lll'and bet-Ween the stations and kept- ,Q raduully raising to 512-500 F. first and second charpin at approximately temperatureof the glass is the proper tem perature for pouring, when the door 17 is l u thermore, the c 30 may he provided at the front one of the-furnace for that temperature until the 7 there from the our. end of the furnacev where it is ad- 'mit-t .l and passed through the different zones of, heat with'tho adnnssion from time to time of the batch, the pot. in this manner being used in continuous cycles so that there is no del-a and greater output obtained. iging of the pots as tl y more along in t. ,3 manner from time to time, isv done without the loss of practically l at, and Withoutt-he danger of: chip- 1e pots by the introduction of charglzlultS. as in the old method where the able to strike the top edge of the t io-rti'ons of the pot dropped into. iiolten glass which results inimper'feet i he method of melting glass, as above set 1 rms the subject matter of an applic t ine-ofevendate herewitlnSei *0. 865,433.

TJhat we claim is:

1. A continuous pot-furnace for melting glass having charging; openings for the ad, mission of batch, means for bringing the pots in succession into register with said openings, and means for introducing the pots into said, furnace and removing the pots therefrom Without opening the heat ing chamber of said furnace to the outer air.

2. A. continuous pot-furnace for melting glass having a plurality of moving carriers therein, ieans for charging batch into said pots at intervals in said furnace, means for varyingt e temperature at different por tions of, said furnace, and means for introducing the pots into said furnace and removin the pots therefrom Without ope-n.- ing the heating chamber of said furnace to the outer air. V

3. A continuous potfurnace for melting glass having movable carriers therein for supporting the pots, means for char ing the pots with 0 hatch at different poin fs 1n said furnace, means for controlling the temperature of said furnace at all points whereby the glass in said'pots in their passo through said furnace is brought to; the melting and fining and casting temperatures, and means for introducing the pots into said furnace and removing the pots ivithout opening the heating hainber of aidfurmice to the outer air.

4. A 001 mucus pot-furnace for melting glass havng movable, carriers thereinv for supporting the pots, means for chare'ingthe pots with batch at different points in, said furnace, means for controlling the temperaremoving ture of said furnace from the front toward the rear, whereby the pots in their passage through said furnace are gradually heated to the melting and fining temperatures, and partially cooled for casting, and means for introducing the pots into said furnace and the pots therefrom without changing the temperature conditions Within said furnace.

5. A continuous pot-furnace for melting glass having'a charging opening for the admission of batch, a batch container, and a vertically adjustable conductor leading therefrom through said opening into one of the pots in said furnace below the upper rim of said pot.

6. A continuous pot-furnace for melting glass, a plurality of movable carriers therein for supporting the pots, means for advancing said carriers intermittently, means for char ing said pots with batch at intervals in their passage through said furnace, and vestibules disposed at the charging and discharging ends of said furnace for permitting the pots to be introduced and removed Without exposing the interior of the furnace to the outer air. V

7. A continuous pot furnace for melting glass having a plurality of charging openings in the roof thereof for the admission of batch and vestibules disposed at the charging and discharging ends of said furnace for permitting the pets to be intro duced and removed without exposing the interior of the furnace to the outer air. 7

8. A continuous pot furnace for inciting glass having charging openings in the roof thereof for the admission of batch, and means for bringing the pots into succession into register With said openings.

In testimony whereof, We, the saiClFRANK E. TROUTMAN and CHARLES H. CHRISTIE, have hereunto set our hands.

FRANK E. TROUTMAN. CHARLES H. CHRISTIE. Witnesses:

' NM. F. RAUSCHENBERGER,

A. J. GUMPPER. 

